Effect of Salinity on Crop Growth and Soil Moisture Dynamics: A Study with Root Water Uptake Model
Publication: Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 28, Issue 3
Abstract
This study investigates the hazardous effect of salinity on plant growth and soil moisture dynamics in the root zone. Field irrigation experiments on paddy (Oryza sativa L.—basmati variety) with varying levels of salinity of irrigation water (0.5, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 dS/m) were performed for studying the effect of salt water stress on crop growth. Throughout the crop’s growth period, measurements of leaf area index (LAI), root depth (RD), and soil moisture status in the root zone were recorded. For the analysis, a numerical model was developed to simulate root water uptake (RWU) and soil moisture movement in the root zone, accounting for osmotic pressure developed as a result of the salinity. Nonlinear parameters for the RWU model were estimated based on these observations for each salinity level. By incorporating meteorological data and soil–crop parameters, the model simulated RWU and root zone soil moisture. The results of the irrigation experiments revealed that increased salinity levels in the irrigation water significantly hindered crop development, leading to a decrease in LAI and root depth. The maximum LAI in the growth period decreased markedly, from 5.19 m2m−2 at 0.5 dS/m to 2.01 m2m−2 at 25 dS/m, a decline of approximately 61%. Root depth also exhibited a substantial reduction, declining by up to 36%, from 69.5 cm at 0.5 dS/m to 44.5 cm at 25 dS/m. The simulation outcomes further demonstrated that higher salt concentrations in the irrigation water resulted in reduced root water uptake and decreased soil moisture content in the root zone, ultimately affecting crop yield. The reduction in root water uptake becomes notably pronounced, exhibiting an approximate decrease of 81% when salinity level increases from 0.5 to 25 dS/m. These findings shed light on the hazards posed by salinity in agricultural practices and emphasize the importance of effective management strategies to ensure sustainable crop production in the presence of salinity-induced hazards.
Practical Applications
The results of our research yield significant insights with practical applications for real-life conditions. We find that increasing salinity levels in irrigation water have a pronounced adverse effect on paddy crop growth and root water uptake. As salinity levels rise, there is a noticeable effect on crop growth i.e., decrease in leaf area index (LAI), root depth (RD), and root water uptake (RWU), which are crucial parameters for crop development. Furthermore, our findings reveal a clear correlation between increasing salinity and reduced soil moisture content, particularly at the critical depths of 20 and 40 cm below the surface. The practical implications of our research are twofold. First, it underscores the importance of carefully managing salinity levels in irrigation practices to mitigate the negative effects on crop growth and water uptake. Secondly, our study provides valuable insights for crop selection, suggesting that paddy crops may be less suitable under high salinity conditions. These results offer practical guidance for agricultural decision makers, highlighting the need for salinity control measures and informed crop selection to optimize agricultural productivity in regions with saline water environments.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or codes that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Notation
The following symbols are used in this paper:
- Acm
- crop coverage adjustment factor;
- C
- specific soil moisture capacity;
- ETc
- crop evapotranspiration;
- ETo
- reference evapotranspiration;
- Es
- soil evaporation;
- f(ψ)
- matric stress response function;
- f(π)
- osmotic stress response function;
- Kc
- crop coefficient;
- Kcadj
- adjusted crop coefficient;
- Ksat
- saturated hydraulic conductivity;
- K(ψ)
- unsaturated hydraulic conductivity;
- LAIdense
- leaf area index of a healthy crop;
- LAImax
- maximum value of leaf area index during growth period;
- RDmax
- maximum root depth during growth period;
- RWUmax
- maximum root water uptake on any day during growth period;
- Rjmax
- maximum root depth;
- S
- sink term accounting for RWU;
- Se
- effective saturation;
- Smax
- maximum root water extraction;
- Tj
- potential crop transpiration;
- Tjmax
- maximum daily crop transpiration;
- Ts
- specific transpiration;
- t
- time coordinate;
- tpeak
- time in days to maximum daily transpiration;
- z
- vertical coordinate for depth;
- zrj
- root depth on jth day;
- α, β
- parameters of RWU model;
- αv, nv, mv
- van Genuchten water retention parameters;
- ɛ
- tolerance level;
- θ
- volumetric soil moisture content;
- θr
- residual moisture content;
- θs
- saturation moisture content;
- π
- osmotic potential head;
- πmax
- critical osmotic head;
- πw
- wilting point osmotic head;
- ψ
- soil pressure head;
- ψa
- soil pressure head at anaerobiosis;
- ψamc
- pressure head at available moisture content;
- ψfc
- soil pressure head at field capacity; and
- ψw
- soil pressure head at wilting point.
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Published In
Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 28 • Issue 3 • July 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 17, 2023
Accepted: Dec 14, 2023
Published online: Mar 7, 2024
Published in print: Jul 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Aug 7, 2024
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Agriculture
- Crops
- Disaster risk management
- Disasters and hazards
- Ecosystems
- Engineering fundamentals
- Environmental engineering
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Irrigation engineering
- Irrigation water
- Models (by type)
- Numerical models
- Salt water
- Soil dynamics
- Soil mechanics
- Soil properties
- Soil water
- Vegetation
- Water (by type)
- Water and water resources
- Water management
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